Up In the Air, Down to the Earth
by petrichorandperennials
Summary: He's hell-bent on flying, and she's finding it hard to stay grounded when he's around. A set of James and Lily drabbles, set exclusively on the Hogwart's Quidditch pitch.
1. convoluted

Author's Note: Hey guys! I am hitting a bit of a rut on my other story, _Between the Pages_. I love writing it, and I am by no means stopping, but I am waiting for a bit more inspiration to strike as to avoid posting something that's not all that great and disappointing you guys. Until then, I am reverting to my favorite form of inspiration, boot camp prompts! These were in a list where you were supposed to choose a single setting and write 50 drabbles. I may not make it to 50, but I am sure as hell going to try. My setting, obviously, is the Quidditch pitch. I'm also going to keep working on my other set of Jily drabbles, and maybe start some for Harry and Ginny. Let me know what you think! x

Disclaimer: I don't own these guys, I just use them for my own selfish purposes.

* * *

i. Convoluted

She watches him fall, his body contorting as he does and she can tell that he's already unconscious. She can't scream, she can hardly move, and the shouts and shrieks of her classmates around her morph into a soft buzzing in her ears as though she's the recipient of a well-directed _muffliato_ spell. She vaguely registers as Dumbledore, sitting a few stands over from her, raises his wand towards James's falling body and bellows something that Lily only can hope is something to cushion the fall of the boy whose body is pelting towards the soggy earth. He slows down, but not enough, and though she can't hear his body hit the ground, she can feel the shockwave of it hit her stomach and send her heart directly into her throat. He's crumpled on the ground, and professors are already surrounding him, blocking his convoluted body from her view. She distantly feels Marlene's hand on her arm and she scrambles down the aisle, not caring what she looks like or what her classmates might think. She hears her name being called by someone but she brushes frustratedly at whoever is still trying to pull her back and tears down the stairs and onto the pitch. She notices that she's not alone. Peter and Remus, who had been sitting next to her in the stands are in front of her, as well as Frank Longbottom and several of the girls from the Marauders' fan club. The girls are shrieking, some even in tears, but Lily doesn't hear this. She doesn't hear as McGonagall calls out "Evans!" as a warning not to get too close, because she's down by his side, her hands on his pale face, her heart racing. When she registers that he's still unconscious, she looks to the stricken professors around her, specifically Dumbledore, looking for answers. He passes his wand over James's body while simultaneously attempting to free his left arm from where its become pinned underneath his torso.

"He's going to be alright," he says calmly, still looking at James but addressing the small crowd around him. "He undoubtedly has several broken bones and perhaps a concussion, but it's nothing that Madame Pomfrey cannot mend in a few day's time."

Lily is conscious of the gradual slowing of her heartbeat, though it rests at a pace far quicker than usual once it has finished its plummet. James is laying flat now, Dumbledore and McGonagall having carefully straightened his limbs, but his arm is bent at an impossible angle and the sight of it causes Lily's chest to constrict painfully.

Dumbledore straightens up and faces Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, do you mind transporting Mr. Potter to the hospital wing?" She nods, waving her wand and causing James's body to levitate several feet off of the ground while remaining flat as if settled on an invisible plank.

"I want to go, too." Lily only halfway realizes she's spoken, and determinedly ignores the faces of her classmates, especially James's friends who she is sure are gawking at her for showing so much concern for a boy whom with she's previously shared only hatred and, much later, timid friendship. She straightens up, smoothing down her skirt awkwardly, her eyes still on James.

"Of course," says Dumbledore, seeming not at all phased by her words, "The Head Girl should indeed go as well."

This decided, McGonagall nods.

"Well, follow me then, Miss Evans."

Lily does as she says, silently, watching as James begins to drift towards the castle slightly in front of her, and doesn't look back to see if her friends are behind her.

"He will be restored to his usual self in a few days, I am certain," McGongall says in what Lily thinks must be an attempt to comfort her, but the redhead bites her lip and focuses very intently on the mud caked onto the sleeve of James's Quidditch uniform. The professor is silent after that, and Lily takes a few running steps until she's right next to James. Her heart is still racing, and seeing his face, a little less pale now, makes it speed up again almost imperceptibly. Seeing him fall like that, almost dying right in front of her, makes her wonder what she would ever do without him.

Thinking this, she reaches up and takes his hand, hanging limply from his position in the air.

She holds on to it, tightly, until they reach the hospital wing.

* * *

P.S. I'm going to the beach and won't have wifi for a week, so don't expect many updates but I promise, I _will_ be writing.


	2. extensive

Author's Note: Here's another! My disclaimer is that they belong to Jo Ro but I love them anyway.

* * *

ii. Extensive

"Don't you think it's a bit extensive, James?"

There is a distinct air of anger and discomfort in her voice, which makes him nervous, but he pretends to ignore.

"Nothing is too much for you, my flower," he says, almost regretting his arrogant tone, but finding it hard to control around her. Her glare is positively withering, her hair whipping around her face in the late fall breeze, but he refuses to stop smiling because the night before, Lily Evans kissed him, so she has to like him somewhat.

"Fix it," she deadpans, eyes still narrowed to an almost impossible degree, "Get rid of it, cover it up, _destroy_ it."

He tries to not let his face fall. He's going to win this battle, he absolutely has to, because his elation at the thought that he might finally have a chance with her is being smothered and crushed by the tone of her voice and the thin line of her lips and his stomach is twisting uncomfortably.

"Afraid I can't do that, Lily," and he struggles to maintain his grin as she opens her mouth, once, then again, her angry retort dying in her mouth when he continues, "I don't know the counter charm for this one."

She looks like she might slap him, or hex him, and when Sirius comes up behind him, surveying his friend's handiwork and letting out a barking laugh, he sees her hand twitch towards her wand. Sirius claps him on the back, still laughing and congratulates him.

"This is a pretty sweet bit of magic, Prongs," he admits, and then smiles at Lily, his voice turned goading and says, "I bet he can recreate it for your wedding, Evans."

Lily lets out an angry noise, somewhere between a growl and a huff and flips her hair. As pompous and obnoxious as it looks, it makes James's stomach do a tiny flip of delight at how absolutely beautiful she is when she's angry.

"There will not be a wedding. I swear would rather marry a hippogriff," she says, her voice low and dangerous.

"Promises, promises," Sirius laughs, and James is somewhere between laughing and wanting to hit Sirius for putting an even deeper expression of loathing on the face of the girl in front of them. He settles for shrugging and saying, "I guess being such a romantic isn't getting me anywhere."

Lily's face softens, but only a small amount, and she looks back down at the looping line of flowers at her feet, sighing.

"Please just get rid of it before the game, James." Her voice is tired and pleading, and he knows right then that there will never be any winning against Lily. She's got him, every time.

"Alright," he concedes, and Sirius scoffs, rolling his eyes, and retreats from the pitch to go change into his Quidditch robes in the changing rooms.

"I'll ask Remus for the counter charm," James says, leaning down to run his fingers over the petals of one of the thousands of flowers that spell out "James loves Lily" in looping script across the field.

When she doesn't respond for a second he straightens up and looks at her. She's staring at him, her arms crossed, a curious look on her face. It's somewhere between exasperation and pity.

"It is quite an impressive charm," she finally admits, her voice soft and her eyes on his, "but you could have asked first."

He chuckles, looking down at his feet.

"You would have said 'no'."

"Yes, I would have," she agrees with a sigh.

They stand in silence for another moment, and when he looks up she's looking out across the pitch, a small smile on her lips. Finally she swallows and says, "Being a romantic isn't bad, James, but not everyone is a fan of wearing their heart on their sleeve."

She meets his eyes again, and his stomach swoops dramatically. Hitching her bag up on her shoulder and sighing heavily again, she makes to leave but pauses, looking back at him.

"Good luck with the game, James," she says sincerely, "I'll be out here cheering as always."

And then, as if a second thought, she stands on her toes and presses a quick kiss to his cheek. She runs back up to the castle, and doesn't look back, leaving James slightly stunned with a massive grin on his face.


End file.
